Fairleigh Dickinson next on the docket for women's basketball

SMITHFIELD, R.I. – The Bryant University women's basketball team travels to Hackensack, New Jersey, on Saturday for a 1 p.m. meeting with the Fairleigh Dickinson University Knights.

THE PARTICULARS

Opponent: Fairleigh Dickinson University

Game Time: Saturday, Jan. 13 – 1 p.m.

Watch Live: NEC Front Row

Live Stats: Fairleigh Dickinson

Game Notes: Bryant | Fairleigh Dickinson

SCOUTING THE KNIGHTS
Fairleigh Dickinson comes into the weekend with a 9-6 overall record and 1-3 mark in NEC play. Last time out, the Knights fell to Mount St. Mary's, 55-52.

Amina Markovic leads FDU in scoring, coming into Saturday's game with 12.6 points per game. She is also the Knights' leading rebounder, averaging 6.5 boards per game. Madelynn Comly has also been solid for FDU and has averages of 11.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game.

The Knights are coached by Peter Cinella, who has been with FDU since 2007. He has led Fairleigh Dickinson to a 394-327 record coming into 2017-18.

SERIES HISTORY vs. FAIRLEIGH DICKINSON
Saturday marks the 17th meeting between the two schools, with Bryant hosting a 12-4 lead and a 5-3 advantage on the road. The Bulldogs have won nine-straight meetings with the Knights.

NOTHING CAN STOP ME, I'M HOLLOWAY UP
After being named to the NEC All-Rookie team last season, sophomore Sydney Holloway (Morgantown, W. Va.) started up right where she left off at Brown, where she led Bryant with 19 points and nine rebounds. Holloway has earned double-doubles on six occasions this year, last versus Central Connecticut in a 28-point, 10-rebound performance against the Blue Devils. Holloway has also had five 20-point performances this season. The sophomore currently ranks in the top 30 nationally in free throws made (27) and free throws attempted (12).

AY NAY NAY
After a breakout season in 2016-17, redshirt-junior Naomi Ashley (Hamilton, Ont.) has been a force for the Bryant Bulldogs through the early stages of the season. Ashley was a rebound shy of a double-double against Boston College, going for 12 points and nine rebounds. The highlight of Ashley's season came at Holy Cross when the red-shirt junior had 9 points, 12 rebounds and 9 steals against the Crusaders. Ashley has posted averages of 9.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.2 steals as a redshirt junior.

SCANNING THE RECORD BOOK
Freshman Hannah Scanlan (Rumson, N.J.) scored 27 points in the Northeast Conference opener vs. Wagner. The 27 points were the most-ever by a freshman in the program's Division I era.

WOMAN OF STEAL
In a two-point overtime defeat at Holy Cross, Naomi Ashley set a Bryant Division I program record for steals in a game with nine. She bested the previous best of eight set by Danielle Douglas in the 2010-2011 season. The program record belongs to Beth Connealy (now Wandyes), who had 10 in a game versus Springfield in 1995. Ashley had another big theft game vs. Rhode Island, coming away with six steals vs. the Rams in the first round of the Ocean State Tip-Off Tournament. She collected her 100th career steal in the NEC opener vs. Wagner on Dec. 29.

BJELKO BUSTS OUT
Freshman Brooke Bjelko (Plattsburgh, N.Y.) played 29 minutes versus Mount St. Mary's and set career highs in points (12), rebounds (14) and assists (2), field goals (3) and made free throws (6). Against the Mountaineers, Bjelko secured her first career double-double. In her next conference game, Bjelko scored 8 points and grabbed 7 rebounds versus Central Connecticut.

SCANLAN DOWN LOW
Freshman Hannah Scanlan has posted averages of 7.1 points and 5.2 rebounds for the Bulldogs in her first collegiate season. In NEC play, Scanlan has been dominant, averaging 12.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. The freshman leads the NEC in field goal percentage, connecting on 58.9% of her shots from the floor.

EVERSON NAMED CAPTAIN
Bryant senior Kathleen Everson (Farmingville, N.Y.) was named a captain ahead of the 2017-18 season by head coach Mary Burke. Everson, a forward from Farmingville, New York, has set new career highs in points on two occasions. Versus Brown in the team's second game of the season, Everson scored 10 points against the Bears.

BRYANT ADDS TWO
Bryant University women's basketball added two future Bulldogs during the early signing period, receiving National Letters of Intent from Trinity Bravo (Bridgeport, Conn.) and Alexandra Hart (Saco, Maine).

FRONT ROW SEAT
Bryant University Athletics and the Northeast Conference are once again affiliated with the Pack Network and NEC Front Row, the home for all NEC men's and women's basketball broadcasts. NEC Front Row brings viewers an industry-leading video streaming solution for more than 100 Bryant University home contests during the 2017-18 athletic seasons, including live, free-of-charge, high-definition broadcasts of all Bulldog home women's basketball games. Live event productions include multiple camera angles, an on-screen scoreboard, state-of-the-art graphics and DVR functionality. Visit NECFrontRow.com for more information and a complete schedule of events.